Wax moth Galleria mellonella: Blessing or blight

Abstract

Wax moth is the ubiquitous pest of honeybees globally. Wax moth larva could be a terrible menace to the beekeepers as it turns the entire wax combs to a pile of debris and frass. Wax moth larva is a voracious eater tends to feed on wax combs, cast off larval bee skin, pollen, brood and honey more seriously forcing entire colony to abscond. Despite of being a nuisance to honeybees the wax moth is a well-accepted inexpensive insect model to study host pathogen interactions and various antimicrobial compounds. The unique ability of the larvae of wax moth to biodegrade plastic is one of the major breakthroughs in the history of science. The present article reviewed the taxonomical position, life cycle and control measures of wax moth in addition to its role in plastic degradation. Eventually, this review article also throws the light on both the abilities of Galleria mellonella of being a pest as well as an efficient plastic bio degrader.